Moms, I need some advice....

Hi everyone,
I am looking for any opinions that I can get on this subject, so please, let me know what you think. We did not plan this pregnancy, and currently rent a very large one bedroom apartment in a complex. We had planned to rent for two years before buying a house, and have been saving accordingly. Now that the baby is on her way, we are really conflicted about what to do. Our lease is literally up one week after my due date. We've looked into renting a two bedroom apartment in our complex, but they are outrageously expensive, and then we've seen some really nice two bedrooms in other complexes that are more money than what we pay now, but not as bad as the ones in our complex. We do not want to buy something just because we are having a baby. We know that we can afford something bigger and in a nicer area if we stick to our original plan of renting for two years. But here's my dilema....
I am beginning to think that we should just stay in our one bedroom apartment for another year and avoid having to pack and move and spend more money on rent when we don't even know what our expenses will be like with a new baby. But I am not sure how we are going to live in a one bedroom apartment with a baby. So I'm wondering if there is anyone that does this, and can you tell me your experiences? Where does the baby sleep, what are the pluses and minuses, etc.
We have a gigantic livingroom that we could possible section half off to be the baby's "room". But we also have a big enough bedroom to fit all of our furniture, plus a crib and changing table, etc. So we have options. I just can't help but think that it will be awkward to have a baby in a one bedroom apartment.
Any insight or advice or ANYTHING at this point would be so appreciated. TIA!!!!

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

IMO - I would stay and save the x-ta $$ you would have paid in higher rent and maybe you can move in 1 1/2 years instead. Until the baby is mobile they really don't do all that much anyway so space isn't much of an issue. 2 years will fly buy and before you know it you will be in a house. My girlfriend lived in a one bedroom basement apartment for 2 years with her daughter. It is definitely doable.

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

I also would stay in the apartment. I know there are a few people on here that have a 1 bedroom with a baby and it works out just fine. When I got PG we were living in a 1 bedroom and would still be there had it not been that were already planning on buying a house at this time. (we actaully moved in 1 week before he got here). You can make it work and its totally doable. You will be happier in the long run because you will have the $$ saved that you wanted and will be in the house that you LOVE, not one that fits your needs right away and that your not totally happy with. Good luck! HTH

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

I would just stay put for a year or so. It is easier to have the baby in your room for the first few months anyway, and really the first year they don't take up a lot of room. Since they don't have a lot of toys yet, and aren't mobile enough to play with tons of toys I would just stay and save the money. Once the little baby starts walking and getting older, around a year and a half is when the toys start to build up and room starts to get smaller

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

My bro and SIL did this. THey had my niece in a small 1 bedroom apt and they managed to make it work until she was about 1 1/2. They saved and were able to buy a nice 3 bedroom home. If you can stick it out for antoher year or two then go for it.

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

Rach, Cassidy is almost 15 mos old, and she is STILL in our room. Our BR is huge, so we have plenty of room for her crib and changing table. Is it the IDEAL situation? No, but it's only for a few more months, so I can deal.
I say if you can save more $$, it is well worth it to stay where you are.

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

Thanks everyone. I know it's the best decision in terms of saving money. We'd still be able to save if we moved to a bigger place, but like I said, I don't know what our expenses will be like, so who knows how much we'll be able to save. I am just having such anxiety, too, over where we're going to live. I just want to make a decision and feel either settled here, or settled in the fact that I knwo I need to start packing soon before I'm too tired to do it! I swore that the next time I moved, it was going to be into something I own, and I really don't want to change that just because we're having a baby. I've moved 6 times in 4 years from my childhood home to a shared apartment with my sister, to our place in Boston, to a different place in Massachusetts, to a co-op with my parents, to a townhouse with my parents and JT and now to here. I just cannot take the insanity of moving again, and then YET AGAIN. I just want to feel settled for longer than 12 months.
So thank you for the opinions. I appreciate them. Keep them coming! I want to hear everything, the good, the bad, the ugly!

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

You could totally do the first year in a one bedroom if not longer. My DD is almost 6 months old and has not ever slept in her nursery. She sleeps in our room all the time. If you're OK with that I would stick with your original plan.
Moving before or right after the baby would be more stress than you need IMO.
Good Luck!

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

If it were me, I'd stay put in the apartment too. I know plently of people (my parents included) that had a 1 bedroom and made due. Just makes sense to not have the pressure of moving in addition to buying something you may not like in a few years.

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

stay where you are. i lived in a small one bedroom when i had my first. the baby shared the bedroom with me and dh and we just put all her toys and stuff in the living room. it was perfect.

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

I would stay and save, save, save. When we had Damien we lived in a one bedroom apt in my sister's house. We moved into our own house this past June so Damien was 21 months old. It was just fine. You will probably just have to limit the bigger items that people may want to get for the baby till after you do have a house.

Message edited 3/11/2006 8:13:39 PM.

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

Rachel stay you will be fine. We had a one bedroom until Sammy was 3 years old.

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

stay and save your $$

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

WE lived in a 1 bedroom apartment w/ Patrick until he was 3 1/2. We all shared the big bedroom. It wasn't bad at all. You learn to adapt. I would stick to your origional plan.

Take it from someone who moved while she was pregnant. It's no picnic! And it will be a big hassle to move if you plan on moving again in a year or 2. IMO

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

I agree with everyone and think you could make work it in a one bedroom. I think you guys will be doing the best thing for your family in the long run.

Our pregnancy was not planned either, but we decided to buy a house. We were renting a large 3-br condo, but our lease was up and the rent was pretty high. For us, it was better for us financially to buy bc our mortgage is $400 cheaper than our rent. I was 6 months pg when we moved and it was not fun. Besides packing, I just gave orders to DH and the movers on where to put stuff.

Nate is 9 months and he still sleeps in our bedroom. At first he was in a co-sleeper on my side of the bed until about 7 months. Then we tried putting him in his room but due to some heating issues we ended up moving his crib into our room.

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

I agree with everyone else.. I think you should stay since its only a couple more years.

I would put all the baby furniture in YOUR bedroom and keep the livingroom open.
I know it would be all in your head but to take half your livingroom away for the baby might make your apartment more cramped then it needs to be...

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

Thanks for all the opinions and advice ladies. To complicate matters, JT and I stopped by a complex that is literally next door to ours, and we found out that their one bedrooms are the same as ours, only they have a washer and dryer in them. So now JT wants to move THERE. I think we've decided to stay here, but that washer and dryer is tempting! But I still don't want to move, even if it's right next door. I don't know. JT and I need to talk even more now. I'm going to take a look around our apartment today and see if I can start moving some stuff to my parents' basement to make more room here. (that's another issue, we don't have much closet space.) So we'll see. Thank you so much, again!

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

We live in a one bedroom, so far it seems like having another bedroom would not make a difference, she is always with us anyway.

Our bedroom is also very big so we have room for all her furniture (crib, changing table, dresser and amoire)

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

Babies are in a crib for the first year.....if you don't think you'll be overcrowded for a year, then save the money and stick with the plan. MANY moms on the boards have done it with a one bedroom

Good Luck!

Re: Moms, I need some advice....

stay where you are, who needs the stress of a move while you are pregnant?? save your money for the house....a little baby 0-12 months really doesn't need much room, I am sure you will be fine!